Major Labels Seeking Damages Against Pirate Bay Founders

The record industry big guns are increasing their efforts to collect fines from Pirate Bay founders Gottfried Svartholm-Warg and Fredrik Neij, and are alleging that the Swedish duo have failed to comply with a court injunction by continuing to operate the popular downloading site.

Pirate Bay, self-described as the "world's most resilient bittorrent site" on their home page, continues to be operational and the major labels are claiming that Svartholm and Neij are still the ones behind its operation. The labels - Universal Music, EMI Music, Sony BMG and Warner Music - are demanding one million Swedish kronor in damages (about $150,000 Canadian), according to Torrent Freak.

Last October, a Stockholm court ordered the two Pirate Bay founders to cease operation of the site immediately. If the duo failed to comply with the ruling, they would be fined about $71,000 each. An appeal was granted a month later.

But the record labels have decided to push the matter and are trying to prove that Svartholm and Neij, who no longer live in Sweden and whose whereabouts are unknown, are still involved in operating the site and therefore should pay the full damages to them.

But Neij is adamant that he's not part of the Pirate Bay anymore and is using that as his defence. "I am no longer involved in the operation of the Pirate Bay, so there is no opportunity for the penalty to be issued. I think the law is quite clear on this," he commented on Torrent Freak.

Svartholm-Warg also denies involvement in the site, which leads us to wonder who's actually behind the Pirate Bay? Well, at least we can scratch Lars Ulrich off the list.